Containers with dispensers



April 17, 1956 J. T. LYNr-:s 2,742,220

CONTAINERS WITH DISPENSERS Filed May 27, 195s M: we@

l l l i I 1 v INVENToR. `JOHN T. LYNES FTQ s ATTQBHEY r r a ...v1.-

United States Patent Oiice `This invention relates to a container` with dispenser and particularly to an arrangementwof a dispensing spout on thev type of containers folded from sheet material including as part of the invention a novel form of at blank from which the entire container may be formed.

Generally described, the pouring spout may be formed as a part of a closed containerWhentheblankfrom whchi the container is made is cut and folded:` 'The spout in cludes a center body portion of rigidlformationand having arcuately shaped and arcuately disposed, partially flexible spout sides arranged to lie hat between the front and rear walls of the container, afront pull flap hinged to move out of place from an openingwith arcuate sides.,y

a connection between the front pull flap and the center body portion, and an inside plug attached'to the spout. The novel blank includes a first ap having the spout body and flaps cut therein, a second tlap having the plug thereon and being foldable against the first flap; and ae third flap being foldable against the front: of the rst flap.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a simple and effective retractable spout for containers which spout is adapted to be formed in the normal fabrication of the container rather than as a separate attachment.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the simplicity of the spout constructionwhereby the folding parts of the spout may be of the same strength and rigidity as the container walls. n

An additional object of the present invention resides 'in the relationship between `the shape and arrangement of the `spout sides and the pouring opening so that opening and closing of the spout is positive at all times without any part of the spout protruding into the container interior. l

A further advantage of the present invention resides in the arrangement of the spout so that it may be formed by cutting certain portions of the container blank at ,the same time that the flat blank itself is cut and folded into completed form along with the folding of the `container thereby eliminating any separate spout attachment to the normal container.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the detailed construction and assembly of a preferred embodiment is outlined in the following specification which refers to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a frontY elevation view of a container with the novel spout thereon and with part of the front ply of the container broken away.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the container of Fig. l with the novel pouring spout partially opened.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of -a flat container blank with the spout parts formed thereon.

Fig. 7 isa front elevation view of the blank of Fig. 6 partially folded into a container. l

Referring to the drawings, a container 10 has a front wall 12, side wall 14, top Wall 16 and other similar closuref wallsforming an enclosure. In the present embodiment,

front wall 10 is formed from three coextensive pliesof material-the front ply 18, center ply 20, and inner ply- 22 which are glued together with the exception of certain portions of the spout designated generally at' 24. Front ply 18 has a pull tongue 26 thereon which is cut around the peripherythereof leaving only a hinge portion 28. Pull tongue 26 is circular at the top but with indented sides 30, 32 near the center thereof so that when bent from the plane of sheet ply 18 a complementary 'as opposite sides.

lconnection with center ply 20 in the area bounded by ing of the wings back into position.

opening 27 is left in ply 18 which opening has arcuate protrusions 34, 36 respectively complementary to the indentationsf 30, 32.

The trough portion of the spout is formed on the center ply 20 and comprises a distorted elliptical-shaped body 38 cut from ply 20 and having opposed, arcuate side wings 40, 42 foldable about a wedge-shaped center 44 the bottom portion of which remains connected to ply 20 at 39. As is seen in Fig. 3, when thewings 40, 42 are bent toward each other about the center 44 a trough is formed with center 44 as the bottom and wings 40, `42 Front ply 18 is completely free of the body 38 forming a pocket in this area; however, center 44 is glued or otherwise connected to the underside of tongue 26 so that when tongue 26 is bent away from front ply 18 center 44 is bent with it along a `hinge line on ply 20 thereby causing the wings 40, 42 to bend toward each other and upwardly about the center 44. As tongue 26 `is pulled out, the arcuate sides of the tongue opening 27 acting against the arcuate edges of the wings 40, 42 cause a sort of cam or lever actiontending to` curve but crease the relatively inflexible wings 40,142 in a gradual action permitting a portion of Wings 40, 42 i to readily pass out of their pocket in protrusion beyond i the plane of ply 18. As the wings 40, 42 pass through opening 27 they are forced by the action of .protrusions 34, 36 to fold about center 44 and to assume and retain an upright position forming a rigid spout.

The fact that wings 40, 42 are arcuately shaped so as to increase gradually in width from top to center thence to decrease from center to bottom causes them to pass smoothly out of and against the sides of the opening 27 without creasing or jamming thereby assuring easy fold- As the wide portion of each of the wings 40, 42 reaches the respective side 34, 36 a gradual abutment takes place to stop the spout from going too far and to stop the spout from unduly jamming at the sides of opening 27.

The arcuate sides of opening 27, as mentioned above, assist the arcuate wings 40, 42 to pass out of their pocket and the protruding portions 34, 36 act against the wings 40, 42 causing them to assume an upright position. `In pulling the tongue 26 away from ply 18, the above action continues until the wings 40, 42 have reached their bottom curved portion at which time protrusions 34, 36

engage the bottom of a respective wing 40, 42 preventing them from moving any further. Thus the spout is automatically extended and stopped at the proper position.

The container and spout described above may be constructed from a at blank 50 such as is shown in Fig. 6. The sides 52, 54, 56 of this container are formed in a conventional manner by folding along the dotted lines 58, 60 and tabs 53, 55 fold to form the top and bottom. Front ply 18 is part of one of the sides and is adapted to be folded about line 62 While plies 20, 22 are formed by folding approximately in half a single partialtab 64 about line 66 and tab 64 is adapted to be folded about Patented Apr. 17, 1956 line 68. If desired, the die which cuts the blank may have a cutting edge which cuts body 38 leaving only the connection 39 and at the same time scoring the fold lines for wings 40, 42 to fold about center 44. On this same die, another cutting edg'e cuts around the plug 46 leaving hinge line 48 and another cutting edge cuts out the tongue 26 leaving hinge line 28. Of course, if a tighter seal is preferred, rather than cutting completely through the various edges perforations may be made as long as the tongue 26, wings 40, 42, and plug 46 readily break under a pull.

,After the cuts have been made on the blank 50, glue is placed on the back of center 44 and plug 46 and ply 22 is folded about line 66 against ply 20, as is seen in Fig. 7, and plug 46 is thereby joined to center 44. The hatched lines on the drawings represent the glue. In like manner, glue is placed on the back of tongue 26 and plies 20, 22 are folded inside of and against ply 18 from the position in Fig. 7. The container is now in assembled condition as in Figs. 1 and 2 and a pull on the tongue 26, assisted by inserting the fingernail in slotl 72, will place the spout in position and open the container so that the contents may be poured.

i The present container and spout gives dependable operation in both opening and closing. In open position, the spout is of sufficient rigidity to support the contents as they emit from the container; in closed position, the spout assumes a tight sealing location which is completely flush with the sides of the container.

-Various modifications, eliminations, substitutions, and

alterations may be made in the embodiment shown andv described and within the scope of the appended claims. v

-I claim:

1. In a dispensing spout for a normally closed con tainer, a front wall on said container having at least two coextensive plies, a pull tab formed on the outermost ply and movable about a hinge line formed on said ply leaving a complementary opening in said ply, a pairof wings having the inner edges secured about fold lines con'-l vergingly arranged on the inner surface of said pull tab,

each of said wings being of greater width at the central. portion thereof than at either the bottom or top thereof, said Wings normally being disposed in a plane parallell i lar'ged portioni'of said opening, said wings being pulled v through `and against arespective side of said opening by the bending of said pull tab and being resisted after partial withdrawal thereof by the narrow portion of said opening.

2. As an article of manufacture a blank for bending to form a container and dispenser comprising, a flat sheet of material having vertical fold lines thereon defining side l and back walls, horizontal fold lines thereon dening top and bottom walls, a first tab member extending from a fold line on one of said wall portions having a pull tab formed thereon by partially severing in other than a straightline the material around the tab leaving a fold line and yforming the'centerof said tab smaller than the width of they top thereof, a second tab member extending from a fold line on one of said wall portions and having opposed cuts made thereon in other than a straight line, said opposed cuts forming wings with a central portion therebetween, converging fold lines scored on said central portion about which a respective wing may be folded, and a third tab having a plug member cut thereon and said tab bei-ng located-to be folded against said second tab. ,'1':l f

3. As an article. of manufacture a blank for bending to forma containerand dispenser comprising, a at sheet of .material-having vertical fold lines thereon defining the sideand'baclt` walls of the container, horizontal fold lines thereondetiningnthetop and bottom walls, a iirst tab having an arcuate portion cut thereon which portion may be bent from .the planeof the tab to form an opening withthecenter thereof of less width than the top width thereof, a second tab having opposed arcuate cuts thereon formingwings about a fold line scored at the edge 'of a respective wing forming a central portion between said wings, said centralportion having a fold line scored at the bottom thereof, said second tab being located on said blank for folding into coextensive position vbehind said firstl tab in'which position the central portion is exposed whensaid opening is formed.

References Cited in theviile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,546,052 Wilkins Mar. 20, 1951 

